HUNTING FOR THE MILLION. 157 



ing, but I allow myself to be no admirer of racing- 

 hunting or hunting-racing : the endeavouring to amal- 

 gamate them spoils both. Now I call it racing-hunt- 

 ing where hounds come at once on a fox, go off at his 

 brush, and run into him without a check in twenty 

 minutes. This I am quite willing to allow is very 

 good fun call it fun if you like and I am satisfied ; 

 but no man shall tell me it is fox-hunting. 



A gentleman in Warwickshire lately bought some 

 fox-hounds : he did not attempt to say he meant fox- 

 hunting ; in fact he never tried for a fox : he avowedly 

 hunted drags. The idea was at first a good deal ridi- 

 culed, but it seemed he knew his field and friends 

 better than they knew themselves, for it took wonder- 

 fully ; and when they found it killed their horses, and 

 they rarely could see the end of the run, they all de- 

 clared it was inimitable. Now if he meant this as a 

 keen bit of satire on his friends' knowledge of hunting, 

 he must have enjoyed the thing amazingly over his fire- 

 side, which I dare say he did, for he knows what hunt- 

 ing is, and can ride. 



Why not then have some packs of drag-hounds 

 kept, and make three distinct amusements, all good in 

 their way ! We might then have racing in its legiti- 

 mate way, when we wish for such a treat ; drag hunt- 

 ing, when we want a galloping and leaping 'bout ; 

 and hunting, for fox-hunters, instead of two mongrel 

 amusements. What I mean by hunting-racing is, 

 that most perfectly ridiculous custom of introducing 

 hurdles on a race-course, and this when it is not 

 attempted to call it a hunter's stake. This is also fun 

 perhaps, but certainly not racing : and if it took place at 

 a revel among jumping in sacks and grinning through 

 horse-collars, would be a very interesting wind-up. 



